"I've been that person" - Cody Garbrandt's zen response to Deiveson Figueiredo's "mentally fragile" comments ahead of UFC 300
Former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt responded to Deiveson Figueiredo's trash talk with a mature mindset.
On April 13, the biggest MMA event of the year will take place inside the T-Mobile Arena, as UFC 300 features various must-see fights. Before the stacked pay-per-view main card, the preliminary portion will showcase several former world champions, including Garbrandt and Figueiredo going toe-to-toe.
Figueiredo recently added fuel to the fire by claiming Garbrandt is "mentally fragile." During an interview with MMA Junkie, 'No Love' responded by saying:
"I've been there. When you're mentally weak and you don't believe in yourself, you have to speak more and talk more and try to get into your opponent's head. For me, I've been that person, I've been that. I know deep down inside what that is, that's insecurity of yourself having to say those things, maybe to pump yourself up."
Garbrandt continued:
"He thinks the way to victory is to get into my head by doing this. Go ahead, focus on all this because remember, you have to back up all this talk as well. You gotta back that up. If I do recall, he's missed weight a few times. That's being a p*ssy. That's the biggest mentally weak block you can ever do. You have to make weight."
Watch Cody Garbrandt's comments about Figueiredo below:
When were Cody Garbrandt and Deiveson Figueiredo's last fights?
Heading into 2023, Cody Garbrandt was riding a two-fight losing streak and coming off a year-and-a-half layoff. Luckily for 'No Love,' he silenced the fans' calls for retirement by securing wins against Trevin Jones (unanimous decision) and Brian Kelleher (first-round knockout).
Meanwhile, Deiveson Figueiredo made his UFC bantamweight debut against Rob Font in December 2023. 'Deus Da Guerra' quickly put the division on notice by dominating Font to a unanimous decision win, leading to his number-eight ranking at 135 pounds.
At UFC 300, Garbrandt and Figueiredo likely won't need the judges, as they should produce a must-see striking matchup. With a win, either bantamweight would take a massive step toward potentially earning a title shot.
Watch Garbrandt's knockout win against Kelleher below: